Controlled by Anger
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Controlled By Anger:
Between friends and family nothing ever seems to go right. There is almost always a problem and can upset some people. So does one let their anger get the best of them? Usually, some people cannot contain their anger and just let it out without thinking. But, some people get out of hand. Unfortunately one cannot make that person act better. However, one can change their response to it and how they feel inside. William Blakes “A Poison Tree” is a lyric about two friends who are having issues and when things worsen, one kills the other.
In the beginning of the poem, Blake supports the theme that anger can become hate, which destroys relationships in lines 1-2. When the speaker declares, “I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath did end.” This means that the speaker is saying that he is very upset with his friend because they are having problems. Then he says, “I told it my wrath, my wrath did end,” when he states this he is saying that he could not calm down his frustration, so it grew bigger. These lines fit with the theme because he is saying that he was mad at his friend and could not contain his anger, so it made the problem worse.
Then, Blake supports this theme in line 5-6 when the speaker states, “And I watered it in fears, Night and morning with my tears;”. He is saying that by adding more issues to the problem, it grows. The speaker is saying that problem is always on his mind, so he never stops thinking about it. These lines fit with the theme because the speaker feels as though he is always thinking about the issues that he and his friend are having.
In a latter part of the poem, Blake supports this theme in line 9-10 when that speaker states, “And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright.” The speakers anger is turning into hatred, which is constantly growing. He decided to come up with plan to “defeat” his friend who he is having problems with. The apple symbolizes the poison which is used to kill his friend. These lines fit with the theme because the speaker is starting to feel more and more hatred toward his friend.
Lastly, Blake supports this theme in lines 15-16 when the speaker states, “In the morning glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree.” The speaker awakes in the morning that his plan to “defeat” his new “foe” worked. He had killed his “foe”. These lines fit with the theme of anger can become hate, which destroys relationships because the speaker that his character let his “foe” get the best of him , so he killed him.
In addition to supporting his theme with these lines Blake also uses several poetic devices to support the theme, for example rhyme, refrain, and alliteration. The best of these three is rhyme because it illustrates how easy it is to rhyme with any words. For example, in lines